Dolphin CAD / CAM anounced
Posted by
machines@n...
on 2001-09-01 01:30:08 UTC
Due to a *LOT* of email enquires about the CAM screen shots in the
loco wheel thread I have contacted Dokphin and got the OK to release
details about their new windows CAD / CAM package.
This has been upgraded from their old DOS version but with the
windows interface has been made a lot easier.
There are currently two modules, the CAD and the Mill CAM. to follow
are lathe and wire programs. The cad will link to any of the modules
but the machining modules can be used as stand alone's as any
modification does not need use of the drawing.
The CAD side is a windows package with usual drawing aids, layers,
snap, etc. I won't go ito this much other than to say it's easy to
use and simple. For a star shaped pocket with three islands of
different hights [ as a test piece ]you just need to draw the outside
shape of the four entities. That's all there is to it, simple flat
drawing. All the other info like depth is in the internal editable
database. Before you go into the mill CAM you need to select the
entities you want to cut. These are selected by clicking on them,
giving them a name, Z zero hight and depth. That's it
The link is now opened with the CAM and the setup screen is set as
regards home positions, tool change positions, rapid to Z and
clearance hights etc. You then select a tool, enter diameter, depth
of cut per pass and tool number.
[ In the final program the tool database will be used ] Next window
is tool speed and feeds, coolant etc.
Then we go into the machining process we need, in this case area
clear.
Select area clear and in the profile box are all the previous
selected profiles, select the outside star shape. Then go to islands
and select the three islands. Click OK and it will machine out the
pocket leaving the three islands, all the maching is displayed on the
screen in a choice of formats. I prefer the ISO format as you can see
just what the tool is doing.
Next select goround and select one of the islands and it's machined
to it's correct depth. Do the same to the other two and thats' it,
job done. All the machining paths are automatically linked and
retract at the end.
Hopefully over the weekend I will draw this part and put some
pictures on my web site and follow up with another post.
What really makes this powerful though is in the Cam side you can
change machining strategy very easily. For example the last thre
islands, if you want to machine these in a different order just click
and drag the operation up or down the list to where you want it, then
press the run button again. You never need the original drawing.
Anyway this post has gone on for long enought but it does outline how
easy and simple it is.
John Stevenson.
loco wheel thread I have contacted Dokphin and got the OK to release
details about their new windows CAD / CAM package.
This has been upgraded from their old DOS version but with the
windows interface has been made a lot easier.
There are currently two modules, the CAD and the Mill CAM. to follow
are lathe and wire programs. The cad will link to any of the modules
but the machining modules can be used as stand alone's as any
modification does not need use of the drawing.
The CAD side is a windows package with usual drawing aids, layers,
snap, etc. I won't go ito this much other than to say it's easy to
use and simple. For a star shaped pocket with three islands of
different hights [ as a test piece ]you just need to draw the outside
shape of the four entities. That's all there is to it, simple flat
drawing. All the other info like depth is in the internal editable
database. Before you go into the mill CAM you need to select the
entities you want to cut. These are selected by clicking on them,
giving them a name, Z zero hight and depth. That's it
The link is now opened with the CAM and the setup screen is set as
regards home positions, tool change positions, rapid to Z and
clearance hights etc. You then select a tool, enter diameter, depth
of cut per pass and tool number.
[ In the final program the tool database will be used ] Next window
is tool speed and feeds, coolant etc.
Then we go into the machining process we need, in this case area
clear.
Select area clear and in the profile box are all the previous
selected profiles, select the outside star shape. Then go to islands
and select the three islands. Click OK and it will machine out the
pocket leaving the three islands, all the maching is displayed on the
screen in a choice of formats. I prefer the ISO format as you can see
just what the tool is doing.
Next select goround and select one of the islands and it's machined
to it's correct depth. Do the same to the other two and thats' it,
job done. All the machining paths are automatically linked and
retract at the end.
Hopefully over the weekend I will draw this part and put some
pictures on my web site and follow up with another post.
What really makes this powerful though is in the Cam side you can
change machining strategy very easily. For example the last thre
islands, if you want to machine these in a different order just click
and drag the operation up or down the list to where you want it, then
press the run button again. You never need the original drawing.
Anyway this post has gone on for long enought but it does outline how
easy and simple it is.
John Stevenson.